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Minister MacKay and General Natynczyk Welcome the Indian Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - May 18, 2012) - The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, and the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Walt Natynczyk, met with Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma, Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, during the Admiral's recent visit to Canada. The visit supported Canada's Global Engagement Strategy by building on its existing bilateral defence relationship with India.

"The Asia-Pacific region is becoming increasingly powerful in economic and geopolitical ways and our Government is putting more and more importance on our defence relationships with partners in Asia, most notably with India," said Minister MacKay. "The visit of the Chairman, Indian Chiefs of Staff Committee, provides our nation that opportunity to discuss regional and global security issues and to identify future areas for defence cooperation."

During his visit to Canada, Admiral Verma toured Canada's naval base on the west coast, Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, and several of Her Majesty's Canadian Ships. In addition, he participated in a wreath laying ceremony in Ottawa, and met with senior officers at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto. There were also opportunities for Admiral Verma to meet and discuss items of interest with senior defence officials at several points throughout the visit.

"I was very pleased to meet with Admiral Verma and his wife, Madhulika, in Canada for this important visit. We spent time with our Navy on the West Coast and Admiral Verma met with a number of Canadian Forces and Defence Department officials in Ottawa and at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto," said General Natynczyk. "Our shared interests, and our growing relationship, provide a good basis for future collaboration with India's Armed Forces."

Canada and India have a longstanding and positive bilateral relationship built upon shared traditions of democracy, pluralism, membership in the Commonwealth, and the fact that over one million Canadians are of Indian descent.